Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC | 2016 MLS Match Preview

A nerve-jangling encounter in the Final Push for the Playoffs is ahead when arch-rivals Montreal Impact and Toronto FC meet on Sunday afternoon at Stade Saputo. The Impact come into the contest knowing a victory will put them into the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs for a second consecutive year, winning a second match on the trot last time out in a 1-0 win at Orlando City SC. Toronto FC have booked their postseason ticket, but have now gone four games without a win following their 2-1 loss to D.C. United at BMO Field in their last contest.

The Impact have won back-to-back games in league play for the first time since April 9-16, following their 1-0 win at Orlando City SC. Dominic Oduro netted the game’s lone tally, his second consecutive game with a goal.

Toronto FC saw their winless streak extended to four games, matching their longest of the season, following three successive draws with the 2-1 loss to D.C. United at BMO Field on Oct. 1. Jozy Altidore netted the TFC goal, his fourth goal over the last five matches and his ninth goal of the league campaign, all having come since July 31.

The teams are meeting for the third time this season in league play, each having won on the other’s home ground. Sebastian Giovinco scored goals in each half, leading Toronto FC to a 2-0 win April 23 at Stade Saputo; Ignacio Piatti scored the game’s lone goal for an Impact win Aug. 27 at BMO Field.

TFC have won three of the four league meetings all-time at Stade Saputo; the Impact did take a 3-0 win in the Knockout Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs last year, in TFC’s first-ever postseason match. The Impact have won two league meetings at Olympic Stadium.

The win in the last meeting was the Impact’s first-ever in Toronto in their MLS history, with six losses and four draws in the first 10 meetings in all competitions at BMO Field.

The teams have met in every season they’ve been together in MLS in the Canadian Championship, with the Impact winning the title in 2014 by defeating TFC 2-1 on aggregate in the final. They’ve met four times in the semifinals, each team advancing twice, with Toronto FC going through this year, winning 4-2 at BMO Field before the teams reached a goalless draw in Montréal.

The meeting of the arch-rivals threatened to boil over two minutes from halftime when Impact midfielder Calum Mallace knocked over TFC fullback Steven Beitashour at midfield after TFC's Marco Delgado was booked for clipping Montreal's Dominic Oduro. Following a brief fracas between both teams, referee Jorge Gonzalez sent Mallace off with a straight red card.

The game-winning goal came in the 73rd minute. Directly off a long Evan Bush goal kick, Dominic Oduro played the ball to Ignacio Piatti, who took a sublime touch to put the ball on his left foot and then went back across the goal, slotting the ball home inside the far post.